Local filming for Jolie movie will cause road detours

Sections of Interstate-787, Route 20 and downtown Albany streets will be closed for two weeks starting Thursday as Columbia Pictures films scenes for the thriller “Salt,” starring Angelina Jolie, local officials said.

Closures will begin at 6 a.m. or 9 a.m. and will last until 4 p.m. or 8 p.m., depending on the location. Detours are planned during the closures.

Columbia Pictures also plans to conduct as much filming as possible on weekends in order to minimize the impact on weekday traffic, said Sarah Follett, location assistant for Columbia Pictures.

Follett said main roads to and from the Empire State Plaza during filming will remain open during peak morning and evening commuting hours.

Phillip Noyce is directing the film, which began shooting March 9 and will continue into June.

Jason Bonafide of the city of Albany’s Special Events Office said most of the filming in Albany will be along the Hudson River waterfront. “I hope they shoot the skyline as it’s nice to get some exposure,” he said.

Bonafide said he did not know why Columbia Pictures selected Albany to film parts of the movie. “It’s probably a relatively cheap location,” he said.

A spokeswoman for Columbia Pictures said she could not comment on the movie and whether Jolie will be present for filming in Albany.

Live traffic information can be found on the state Department of Transportation’s Web site at www.travelinfony.com, under “Real-Time Transportation Status portion of the New York State.”

Columbia Motion Pictures paid the state a $25 highway work permit fee and will also reimburse the state for the time of DOT inspectors when they oversee the ramp closures and detours.